Adult posed as student, enrolled at 3 separate Boston high schools this past year

BOSTON -- A woman is currently being investigated by Boston Police for falsely enrolling as a student at three separate Boston Public schools this past year.

The woman, Shelby Hewitt, has been discharged and is being ordered to stay away from BPS facilities. She had previously worked as a social worker for the Department of Children and Families.

"The Department of Children and Families (DCF) received a report and is investigating. Shelby Hewitt is no longer employed by DCF as of February 2023," a DCF spokesperson said.  

Sources tell WBZ-TV Hewitt is 32 years old. 

"This is a quite, it seems, elaborate and unusually intensive case of fraudulent activity," Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said. 

Superintendent of Boston Public Schools Mary Skipper wrote in a letter to the school community that the woman attended Jeremiah E. Burke High School, Brighton High School, and English High School during the past year. She did so by allegedly "utilizing the student transfer process and enrolling under multiple pseudonyms."

Skipper later added that last week a BPS staff member later found irregularities in the paperwork on file and the school immediately contacted police.

"While the investigation is in its early stages and remains ongoing, school officials have not identified any incidents of harm to students or staff," Skipper said. "At this time families of students who may have interacted with this individual are being contacted directly by school staff and investigators."